Abstract

A study into the use of nonionic surfactants for the removal of natural grease from the skin of Australian woolly sheepskin in an aqueous medium has been made. The study has assessed the effects of nonionic surfactant structure, concentration, treatment time, and temperature. It was found that degreasing efficiency is highly dependent on the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the surfactant, with a HLB range for optimum degreasing performance of 13.5-14.5 being identified. Blended surfactants were found to be no more effective than single component products of the same HLB.